Twisted Dimentions
by Ilyana Irvine
Summary: Two dimentions, same people, different time, different situations. Will they be able to learn anything from one another? / Multi-chapter
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note:_ OK. This is my first Bleach fic here. I've written many; but most of them ended up in the bin. I'm not sure about this one either, but at least I can give it a try. It's dangerous, though; cause this one is a multi-chapter, and I don't usually finish it. So, bear with me, readers; and support me; cause fanfics are my little joy. Maybe then I can finish this fic. Oh, and first it might seem that this idea is taken, but it's not. I'm twitsting this. Enough ranting.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.**

For centuries, the Kuchiki was known as one of the most powerful and famous clan among Seireitei. They were famous not only for their enormous fortune; but also for their scandalous marriages. And Kuchiki Rukia is no exception.

Rukia put on her special kimono with beautiful daffodil patterns, a plum-colored haori along with a matching obi tied in a tateya knot. She clipped her hair up with a golden pin, then finshed up with a golden necklace.

Today, she has to deal with another meeting with one of the other noble clan. They want to arrange a marriage between her and someone else, whom she had never met. Rukia, of course, had turned down several men before; and she's determined to do it again. She elegantly walked to the main guest room, where her brother, Byakuya Kuchiki was waiting. A servant announced her arrival before led her in through the thin shoji door.

- You called for me, nii-sama? – Rukia asked, slightly bowing.

- Yes, and I'm glad already well prepared. Have a seat. – Byakuya said as he gestured Rukia to sit down across from him.

Byakuya glanced at Rukia, then sighed. She will be 18 in merely 3 weeks, and he promised Hisana he'd get Rukia married by then. Hisana wanted Rukia to have someone by her side, taking care of her. She wanted Rukia to be happy; and Rukia wanted the same thing for herself. Byakuya really wanted Rukia to be happy as well, but he was a man of his word. At least he knew that he had picked the man that he thought could bring Rukia happiness, and could protect her through thick and thin. Byakuya, just as much as Hisana, wanted what's best for Rukia.

Last month, Byakuya had went to visit the Kurosaki by the invitation of the clan leader himself; Kurosaki Isshin. It was a birthday party, to celabrate the 18th birthday of Isshin's son – Ichigo. He also wanted to use this chance to maybe find the right man for his sister. Byakuya had had a chance to spoke with the boy himself, and found him quite interesting.

- Son! Come and meet Byakuya-kun, the leader of the Kuchiki! – Isshin dragged Ichigo along with him.

- Nice to meet you, Byakuya. – Ichigo said, with his usual rude and monotonous tone when dealing with formal meetings.

Byakuya was surprised, and a bit annoyed. No one had responded to him that way before. 'He's interesting', Byakuya thought.

- It's Kuchiki-san to you, kozo. – Byakuya responded with his 'Kuchiki face' on.

- Ah! Forgive my deliquent son, Byakuya-kun! I'm sure as he turns eighteen, it'll all be different! Right, my boy? - Isshin said, crazy as usual.

Ichigo had met many people like Byakuya before. He was just another typical noble man; and he treat them all the same. Rude, short sentences. He just wanted to get away as soon as possible.

- What do you want, Byakuya? – Ichigo get right to the problem. Every clan leaders who came here, sooner or later will ask to arrange a marriage between him and some… girl. He didn't want that. As much of a 'deliquent' he was; he still wanted something that was real.

- What do you mean, boy? – Byakuya questioned.

- If you came here to try to arrange me to marry some girl I don't know, then I'll have you know, I'll never agree. Don't waste your breath.

Byakuya looked straight at Ichigo. 'Isn't that nostalgic…', Byakuya thought, having flashback of what Rukia always told him when he said to her that she was going to have to marry somebody. He scoffed.

Ichigo was astonished.

- What are you laughing at? – He'd seen noble men trip, cry like a baby, acted like a monk, but scoffing? Now that's a revolution.

- Nothing. Just, you sound like my sister when I try to arrange a marriage for her. And yes, I've failed. Must be 30 times already. – Byakuya said as he smirked at Ichigo. 'He really is interesting, that boy…'

Later, when Ichigo had left, Byakuya asked to speak with Isshin. They both agreed on setting up a marriage between Ichigo and Rukia.

And that's why this time, she's marrying Kurosaki Ichigo, weather she wants to or not.

- Rukia, you know how much I want you to be free to make your own choices and be happy. – Byakuya paused. He remembered making this speech several times before; so many that he had lost count. But he was still going to try. – And I had promised Hisana I would get you married by the time you're 18. You can't just turn down every man that propose. Please, this time, just once, agree to the proposal. Please.

- Nii-sama, we've gone through this before! You know I can't agree to this. – Rukia reacted immidiately – I have told you before, that I cannot marry some man whom I don't even know his name! – Rukia left her mouth ajar; her voice almost as if she was pleading. She had brought out this act many times before; but none seemed to work. She still had to meet the man and turn down herself. Still, she wanted to try. Maybe this time it'll work. – I know it's Hisana-nee's wish, but… I…

Byakuya was worried, despite he had heard this speech before. Still, he had to get her to try.

- His name is Kurosaki Ichigo. And I have already promised the Kurosaki that you'd at least meet the boy. Just try to talk to them. I met the boy the other day, and he's quite… interesting. Maybe you'd want to give this a try, imouto.

Rukia sighed, ' Can't really be helped…'. She straightened her haori, then looked at Byakuya.

- I'll do it. Just for you, Nii-sama.

OK, so that's it for my first chapter. What do you guys think? Oh, and there's gonna be a twist in chapter 2 or 3. Review please, so I can improve!

Love you lots,

Ilyana Irvine


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's note_: OK, so I finally get to update my fic after a tiring week. There's been loads of new Ichiruki fic; and I can't keep track with all the exams going on in the past week. About the chapter; I've decided to put the twist in 'twisted dimensions' in chapter 2; this chapter. And seriously, guys; hits doesn't really mean that much. Reviews mean a ton. It keeps the author's spirit up; and gives them the inspiration. So please; read and review.

Enough said.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.**

Among the noble clans; the Kurosaki; along side the Kuchiki, was the most powerful clan. They were known for having many young heart-throbs; and Kurosaki Ichigo was one of them. He had turned down many ladies at his feet; until Inoue Orihime. So, it was no surprise that he got mad when Isshin told him about the marriage arrange request from Kuchiki Byakuya.

Isshin figured that he would talk some sense into Ichigo; like other times. He might fail, but then, what else is new? And as expected; Ichigo's reaction weren't exactly… pleasant.

- Dad, I'm not going to do this again! How many more times do I have to tell you! – Ichigo furiously said after launching a kick to Isshin's guts; send him flying to the walls.

- Son, I understand that you already set your eyes on Inoue Orihime – Isshin finally said after trying hard to get off the wall – But a promise is a promise; and I had already gave mine to Byakuya-kun. You could at least have pity for your old man and meet the girl! – Isshin went over to Ichigo's side and pat his shoulder, trying to cope him into doing this. It's not going to be easy getting him to do this, Isshin knew. But he expect nothing less from his son; as he was just as stubborn when he was his age.

Isshin's parents tried to arrange a marriage for him, when he turned 18. He constantly rejected every time they spoke of the subject; because he didn't want to have to spend a lifetime with somebody he didn't know. It took his parents 3 years, 10 horses, and various case of sore throat (due to yelling at him) to get Isshin to at least try. In the end, he found happiness. Masaki was a wonderful woman. She gave him and his children eventful, joyous 8 years; until she was murdered, 10 years ago. Ichigo was only 8 years old, Karin and Yuzu was merely 5 when she went away. They were too young to cope with it; and being a father, it was Isshin's job to heal their wounds and moving forwards with their lives. Anyway, the main point is, after 10 years, Ichigo still hadn't fully recovered from Masaki's death; even when he had that Orihime girl around. He doesn't smile, and if he ever laughs; the world would probably end in two seconds. So, Isshin spent the last 3 years trying to find the perfect girl for his son. Despite failing every time he tries; Isshin kept on finding. He wanted only the best for his son. He wanted Ichigo to have at least what he had. He wanted to see his son finally smiling again.

Ichigo and Isshin kept silent for a while. They've gone through this before; and it's not getting better anytime soon. Ichigo understood how Isshin wanted him to be happy; and he was sure his mother would have wanted the same thing, but he couldn't accept hurting Inoue or taking the risk of hurting himself. Besides, he had met Byakuya before, and wasn't very impressed with the man. Well, for a noble; he was amusing.

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><p>On his 18th birthday, Ichigo had had the chance to cross with the Kuchiki clan leader – Kuchiki Byakuya himself. It was interesting, to say the least. Byakuya had proven himself to be on top of Ichigo's black list, pushing Kenpachi Zaraki second. It wasn't his face, his action that clicked Ichigo; it was his attitude.<p>

Ichigo was standing by Toshiro and Hinamori when Isshin called him over. As usual, he annoyingly went over and get it over with. But as he was walking over, his old man decided that Ichigo was too slow for his taste; and dragged Ichigo along with him instead. Ichigo wasn't too happy about it, but then, it wasn't the only time Isshin had done that.

- Son! Come and meet Byakuya-kun, the leader of the Kuchiki! – Isshin said after dragging Ichigo over to where Kuchiki Byakuya was standing.

Ichigo took a look at the man. He saw the typical noble look; that cocky, arrogant look. He didn't understand why they all had to wear the same style of kimono; and even had the same hairstyle. Ichigo decided after some time that he just let it slide, and concluded that nobles just don't have a single sense of style.

- Nice to meet you, Byakuya. – Ichigo said in his usual rude and monotonous tone when spoken to nobles. He never cared enough to give an 'appropriate' reply to a noble man; especially if he is a clan leader. They tend to see peasants; lower class people as merely trash, despite the fact that they had had to serve the nobles for so long. Well, all leaders except his father. Ichigo hated men like that; and he started to spoke with the attitude ever since he was 15.

Byakuya eyes were wide, and he seemed surprised. It was nothing new to Ichigo, though. He had seen many men's reaction towards his greetings, and he never took it seriously. 'Why do I even care… All of them are the same.'- Ichigo thought.

- It's Kuchiki-san to you, boy. – Byakuya replied, annoyed and somehow, amused. Ichigo saw that, and was a bit ticked off. Usually, the noble men that talk to him didn't even care to give a respond; let alone showing amusement in their voices. But he didn't want to be amusing, he just wanted to get it over with and go back to his room; maybe spending some time with Inoue.

One more thing; every other noble that came to his house always ended up arranging a marriage for him and some girl he had never met. Ichigo had heard that Kuchiki here had a sister; so he had suspected that Byakuya came with a marriage request. So, Ichigo got right to the point with Byakuya, despite not knowing what he really came here for.

- What do you want, Byakuya? - Ichigo asked, turning his face away; showing his annoyance.  
>- What do you mean, boy? - Byakuya questioned, raising his brow - something he rarely does. He had never came across a boy with such attitude; Ichigo could tell. But he never would have though that someone like Byakuya would acted so 'innocent' when Ichigo asked. He thought that Byakuya should know; with it being exactly what he came here to do.<br>- If you came here to try to arrange me to marry some girl I don't know, then I'll have you know, I'll never agree. Don't waste your breath. - Ichigo responded with much annoyance. He wanted the man to just shut up and let him be, but it looked like to him that it wasn't going to happen any time soon.

Ichigo scowled. There were absolute silent between them after Ichigo's statement. Ichigo thought that Byakuya must have had enough and decided to be quite like every other noble, leaving the Kuchiki mansion merely moments after that. But just when he finished his thoughts; Byakuya did something that surely no other noble had done in public. He scoffed; loudly. Byakuya was extremely amused, and it showed on his face.  
>'What's that man thinking about? Am I really that much of a joke to him?' - Ichigo thought. He turned his face straight to Byakuya. Ichigo temper was short; and he would have punch Kuchiki in the face if it wasn't Ichigo's birthday.<p>

- What are you laughing at? – Ichigo replied, astonishingly. It was a revolution to see a noble man not trip, nor cry like a baby, or acted like a monk, but scoffing with amusement in public. Ichigo was truly shocked, and furious, and he wanted to know the reason behind that 'amusing scoff' of the Kuchiki clan leader.  
>- Nothing. Just, you sound like my sister when I try to arrange a marriage for her. And yes, I've failed. Must be 30 times already. - Byakuya replied, putting back his Kuchiki face and hide his amusement. He, however, did smirked at Ichigo when he turned to talk to others.<br>- I'll be seeing you again, boy. You are interesting, indeed; despite your... unpleasant attitude. - Byakuya turned and said to Ichigo before walking out to the Kurosaki's garden.  
>'What's with that man?' - Ichigo thought; scratching his head. He was sure, that the next time he sees Kuchiki Byakuya, would be the time he meet his sister as well.<p>

Later, Ichigo saw Byakuya walking into the main guest room of the mansion, followed by his father. Ichigo hid behind the walls when Isshin turned around; as if sensing Ichigo's presence behind him. Then, he walked closer to the shoji door. As expected, he heard them talking about a marriage with Byakuya's sister.

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><p>- Oyaji, you've met the man. You've seen his reaction with me; and I'm sure you know that I am not exactly fond of him. - Ichigo said, looking away.<br>- Son, that does not mean his sister will be the same! - Isshin responded; trying his best to talked Ichigo into meeting Kuchiki Rukia. Truth to be told; Isshin had me the girl once, and she was, as Byakuya describe, 'exactly like your son'. She didn't seem to be interested in all of the formality; and she was short-tempered. So, Isshin was hoping, that maybe she would be the one that would make his son happy.  
>Ichigo sighed; it had always came down to this, Isshin almost pleading Ichigo to agree to the marriage. He'd always take the excuse of 'saving a broken heart' and 'saving false hopes' to decline. But it looked like it's not the case this time.<br>- Look, dad. - Ichigo scratched his head- I'll meet the girl. But I can assure you that nothing will come out of this. I won't hurt Inoue. - Ichigo said, standing right up after he finished; and walked towards to shoji door.  
>- Son, you can't... - Isshin was talking when a loud explosion was heard near their mansion.<br>The two grab their near by swords, then led a few men to the direction of the explosion. Smoke were everywhere when they approached the scene; but it cleared out quickly. There was a huge hole graved on the ground; and in there they found an unconscious orange haired boy, about 15 or 16 years of age, wearing a black kimono with a white obi and a body-sized sword on his back.  
>Everyone was shocked. The resemblance between Kurosaki Ichigo and that boy they found was remarkable; almost impossible.<br>"What's going on?" "Who is he?"  
>Ichigo mind was blank. He had no idea what to do.<p>

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><p>A cliff hanger! Hopefully I'll be able to update this time next week.<p>

Read and review please; so I can improve.

Love you lots,  
>Ilyana Irvine<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: It's been a hectic week; and somehow I managed to write chapter 3 in between classes. This chapter is going to be the 'twist' part that I've always mention; and I hope it will get me more reviews! It's all fighting; and a little usual Ichiruki bickering. Remember; reviews mean the most; not hits. Enough said.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

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><p><em>- Son, you can't... - Isshin was talking when a loud explosion was heard near their mansion.<br>The two grab their near by swords, and then led a few men to the direction of the explosion. Smokes were everywhere when they approached the scene; but it cleared out quickly. There was a huge hole graved on the ground; and in there they found an unconscious orange haired boy, about 15 or 16 years of age, wearing a black kimono with a white obi and a body-sized sword on his back.  
>Everyone was shocked. The resemblance between Kurosaki Ichigo and that boy they found was remarkable; almost impossible.<br>"What's going on?" "Who is he?"  
>Ichigo mind was blank. He had no idea what to do.<em>

**A few hours earlier, Karakura town**

It was a sunny Friday. The sun was kissing the pavement; the trees were dancing to the light summer breeze. The atmosphere around the district was rather quite for a Friday afternoon.

"Face it, Strawberry! I won, hands down."

…Until a certain pair turned around the corner of the street.

"It was ancient Japan we were tested on! And you practically live in ancient Japan!", Ichigo pouted, turning his head away; trying to cover for his loss. He did lose to a midget, after all.

"Please. You lost. Admit it and take me to that Chappy goodie store!" – Rukia said with a victorious smile.

Ichigo caught up in one of Rukia's bet again the other day, where his arrogance got in his way. Apparently, he did not see the subject of 'Ancient Japan' coming, and his wallet was now in jeopardy of being scratch to pieces.

"No freaking way, midget. That Chappy shit of yours can cost me my 2 months savings!" Ichigo blurted, obviously wasn't ready to admit his defeat.

"A bet is a bet!" Rukia said, "You lost, you pay the price! You are taking me to that Chappy store this weekend!"

Ichigo sighed in defeat. What else could he have done? It's no use getting in an argument he knew that he wasn't going to win anytime soon. He scratched his head, looking to the other side of the pavement. His eyes were looking down; attached to the road. Where else could he have looked when his wallet was going to say _'sayonara' _to 2000 yen? He sighed again; then turned his gaze to the humming Rukia. She's smiling, her eyes bright, filled with happiness. Ichigo knew that she loved it when she wins. He did wonder at times, if the prize truly had mattered; because she had the whole collection, and not a single one is missed. Not even the rarest of the rarest. Rukia was only doing this because she enjoys seeing him miserable, was the only reason he could thought of. 'At least she'd be happy all week long…' Ichigo thought before carrying his bag over his shoulder.

Rukia enjoyed the feeling of victory. 2000 yen isn't much. Besides, she had robbed his wallet several times; and 2000 yen was the least she had ever planned to take from Ichigo. But that wasn't the point. Rukia probably had the one of the largest Chappy collection in the world. She could never miss the opportunity to buy anything Chappy anywhere she goes. So, it really wasn't the prize that was important. What important was making Ichigo miserable. He looked… nice, when he is miserable. Rukia had a good feeling about that weekend. She giggled at the thought; startling a certain Berry; "What the hell are you laughing at?"

Rukia turned her head around to look at the berry, "I wasn't laughing! And it was nothing."

"What do you mean 'it was nothing'?" Ichigo questioned; he knew when she tries to mock him in anyway.

"It was nothing." Rukia responded. "Really."

"There was definitely something!" Ichigo blurted back.

"For the last time, there was nothing!"

"Yes, there was!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

Their bickering continued all the way back to the Kurosaki Clinic.

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><p>Ichigo had to eat dinner outside that night; when he had yet made another mistake of insulting Rukia's drawings. It was painful, when he had to receive a straight kick to his gut after giving his… review to her picture of Ukitake-taichou. Sore and hungry, since he had to save money to take Rukia to that Chappy store this weekend; Ichigo dragged himself back to the Clinic. The best he could hope for is a Hollow-free night.<p>

But it wasn't Kurosaki Ichigo's lucky day. Not at all.

The Shinigami daiko was walking around the corner when he felt the presence of a Hollow; about six or seven miles away. A huge one, it seemed. And Rukia was taking care of it; he could felt her reiatsu near the Hollow. Ichigo quickly transformed into a Shinigami using his substitute badge, then pulled his body over to the front porch of his house after rushing over to the scene. When he arrived; Rukia was still struggling with the Hollow.

"Tsukishiro!"

A wave off ice came, freezing the enormous creature. But the ice was too thin to fully exterminate the Hollow. It broke through the ice; making the ice particles flew all over the place. Rukia got hit by one of the particles; and was sent flying back. Ichigo ran over and caught her before she crashed her head to a nearby telephone booth.

"You OK, Rukia?" Ichigo asked, his voice filled with concern. He helped Rukia to stand on her feet before he spoke again, "That was pretty bold." He paused. "And stupid. What did you think, taking on a Hollow like that alone? You could have…"

Rukia punched his chin, hard; "I'm not stupid, you idiot!" Rukia paused, looking straight into his face, her eyes softer, "And what do you expect me to do? There was no one around! Besides, I could have fended off for myself." Rukia said, dusting her sleeves before returning to her fighting pose.

"What do you mean? You could have died back there if I didn't come!" Ichigo said with anger in his voice. Rukia could have died, and he would just pummel himself onto the ground if she did.

Rukia sighed. "Overprotective jerk. I'm not dead, aren't I?" Rukia said. She didn't really want to admit it, but Ichigo had saved her yet again. But she quickly brushed her thoughts aside, and turned her head to the direction of the Hollow. "Let's go, Strawberry." She said before charging at the Hollow.

Ichigo mumbled 'midget' before following Rukia to attack the Hollow. He charged furiously at the Hollow; which was a gigantic octopus with golden skin and a white mask. Ichigo also noticed that it had an enormous hole. It wasn't the chain of fate container, it was different. Inside it was what seemed to be a large, dark, endless void. Ichigo decided to forget about the hole for a few moments and to focus on defeating that huge Hollow. On the first attack, Ichigo missed by merely two inches. The second one; the Hollow simultaneously blocked it. Ichigo was sent flying back when the abnormal Hollow charged; releasing what seemed to be a wave of … red sound beams. Ichigo managed to get on his feel for ten seconds before he was back on the ground again. His legs were shaking furiously due to those red beams; and standing seemed to be a difficulty for Ichigo.

"Ichigo!" Rukia ran away from the Hollow and towards Ichigo, with hope that her kido could heal his legs. But surprisingly, her kido wasn't working at all. Something was wrong; and Rukia couldn't put her finger in it. She panicked, her mind trying hard to processing every piece of information she had just witnessed. And it only got worse from there. The Hollow was getting closer to Rukia with a blazing speed; and she couldn't figure out what to do. Ichigo could barely stand, and she wasn't doing very well herself. 'What should I do…' Rukia felt absolutely hopeless. She completely blanked out.

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><p>An arrow came out of no where was flying towards the Hollow. It failed; but it managed to stop the Hollow's attacks for a few minutes. Rukia was astonished. She turned her head to see Ishida, Inoue, and Chad approaching in her direction. Rukia breathed out a sigh of relief as the nakamas came to help.<p>

"Kuchiki-san! Kurosaki-kun! Are you two alright?" Inoue asked, kneeling down beside the pair.

Rukia looked at Inoue, eyes filled with worries; "I'm fine. But something's wrong with his legs. I can't heal him with my kido." Rukia finished her sentence before realizing that the over-sized Hollow was coming at their direction, and it was coming fast. Ishida and Chad was holding out; but it looked like they weren't going to be able to do that for a longer amount of time.

"Can I trust Ichigo to you?" Rukia asked, almost pleading. She wanted to stay with Ichigo, but she also had to help her nakamas.

Inoue nodded with determination, "Of course. Leave him to me. Just keep the Hollow busy." Rukia was relief. She simply nodded, then went straight to fight the enormous Hollow. Inoue called out Lily and Ayame to help. An orange circle was created around the length of Ichigo's legs; but not long after, it broke. She tried several time, but they all ended in the same result. Inoue was just as panicked as Rukia was before. She just hoped that the other three can defeat the Hollow in time…

Meanwhile, the others were still trying to fend off the Hollow. They were all injured; some were more serious than others. Chad and Rukia's reiatsus was dropping fast by the second; and Ishida wasn't doing very well, either. Rukia tried to spend a few precious seconds to heal some minor wounds; but that wasn't enough. None of them was fully healed; as the speed of the Hollow was worth admiring over. Now all three of them looked as if they've been fighting off two hundred men for five hours non-stop. They were near their limits, and they knew it.

All five of them are just praying that someone would come to help.

"Everyone alright?" Rukia asked, panting heavily. Using her shikai and putting all her efford into using kido was wearing her out. A lot.

"Well, if you mean four minor wounds, two major wounds on both shoulders, and bleeding like flood alright;" Ishida paused, "then yes, I'm perfectly fine. Thank you, Kuchiki-san." He responded with a bit of irony and self-disappointment in his voice. He was disappointed of himself for not being able to come up with any strategy that would get him and his nakamas out of this mess. Ishida looked around. Kuchiki was panting and sweating heavily; and Chad, well, he was just a mess. And both their reiatsus was dropping at an incredible speed. The Quincy turned sideways to see Inoue was still struggling to heal Kurosaki. To be honest, he did not know how this was going to turn out for them; if they don't have any help soon. Like the others, his mind was just basically numbed. Ishida was officially exhausted.

Chad was standing next to the telephone pole that Rukia almost hit on earlier. He was panting heavily; and his shirt was drenched with his sweat. He could felt his reiatsu dropping fast. He looked around, just to see that the others weren't doing a very well, either. They all looked like a mess that can never be cleaned properly. He concentrated at Ichigo for a few moments, and it seemed that Inoue-san wasn't able to hel his legs yet. At this moment; he was worried that none of them is going to make it out alive.

Rukia was extremely worried. She wanted to be optimistic but things were looking more awful by the second. Everyone was injured and completely exhausted. Inoue seemed to fail to heal Ichigo; and she was tiring herself out, trying too many times. Rukia stared at the Hollow, her eyes almost soulless. She didn't even have an ounce of strength left to think. But she did know that, if they do not have back up in two minutes; they are all going to die. She immediately thought about Urahara; but she couldn't sense him coming. She looked down the pavement; feeling like giving up any second.

A large noise came; the whole 'Substitute team' was startled. But they didn't have much time to think; as the Hollow was approaching rapidly. It roared a deafening roar; a roar that almost brought the nakamas to their feet. Only to make it worse, another beam wave came; knocking them all to the ground. Ichigo's body was completely paralyzed; with the beam hitting him the second time.

The five friends still hadn't recovered when the Hollow seemed to release another wave of attack. The strange hole Ichigo noticed earlier started to turn like a tornado. A light was seen coming out of the enormous void. All of their eyes were opened wide.

A cero-like beam came out; sucking the whole team inside that enormous hole. The Hollow cleaned up any mess it had made. Then, it suddenly disappeared into thin air, leaving to traces of the nakamas.

A while later, Urahara rushed to the direction of the Hollow and the Substitute team. He was too late. He took off his hat, "Looks like I'll have to use that to save them…"

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><p>Please, guys, review. Especially this chapter, because I'm not good at portraying fighting scenes. Oh, and I'm writing a one-shot out of the 'being kicked out of dinner' part. Tell me what you think!<p>

I hope to update next week. We'll go back to the 'ancient dimension' next chapter.

Love you lots,

Ilyana Irvine


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's note:_ Another week had passed. Such a crazy week; I'm surprised that I'm even alive at all. So, I've finally got to post chapter 4; which I've fixed and fixed and re-read and re-read. Something still ticks me off a bit, but I can't do anything about it LOL. This was originally the longest chapter I've written; but I cut 3 pages because I found it long and hard to follow. I'm still struggling to get full ideas on chapter 5; but hopefully I can finish it in time for posting.

Oh, and my apologies if there was any confusion in chapter 3. I'll fix it if I can.

And thanks to _**Girls In White Dresses, Sesshomaruworlf, Prophetofthe42**_ for reviewing. But please, sign in so I can reply to you. Thanks to all of you who had add this story to their favorite or alert list.

Enough said.

Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach of any kind. Not even the one for clothes.**

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><p><em>A large noise came; the whole 'Substitute team' was startled. But they didn't have much time to think; as the Hollow was approaching rapidly. It roared a deafening roar; a roar that almost brought the nakamas to their feet. Only to make it worse, another beam wave came; knocking them all to the ground. Ichigo's body was completely paralyzed; with the beam hitting him the second time.<em>

_The five friends still hadn't recovered when the Hollow seemed to release another wave of attack. The strange hole Ichigo noticed earlier started to turn like a tornado. A light was seen coming out of the enormous void. All of their eyes were opened wide._

_A cero-like beam came out; sucking the whole team inside that enormous hole. The Hollow cleaned up any mess it had made. Then, it suddenly disappeared into thin air, leaving to traces of the nakamas._

_A while later, Urahara rushed to the direction of the Hollow and the Substitute team. He was too late. He took off his hat, "Looks like I'll have to use that to save them…"_

_The Kurosaki were talking when a loud explosion was heard. The two grab their near by swords, and then led a few men to the direction of the explosion. Smokes were everywhere when they approached the scene; but it cleared out quickly. There was a huge hole graved on the ground; and in there they found an unconscious orange haired boy, about 15 or 16 years of age, wearing a black kimono with a white obi and a body-sized sword on his back.  
>Everyone was shocked. The resemblance between Kurosaki Ichigo and that boy they found was remarkable; almost impossible.<br>"What's going on?" "Who is he?"  
>Ichigo mind was blank. He had no idea what to do.<em>

* * *

><p>Ichigo froze. His face became pale; as it was like seeing himself in the mirror, looking at that strange orange-haired boy.<p>

Isshin stepped up from behind Ichigo and gave his shoulders a pat, knocking the young man out of his confusion. Ichigo snapped and immediately turned around, his eyes still dazed from what he just witnessed. Isshin broke the silence, "Let's just bring him inside first. Regard him being a stranger; I don't think we should leave him out here."

Ichigo sighed. His head wasn't processing well as usual, and was hoping that maybe going inside would be better than standing out there. He called for two servants to bring the stranger in. "… I guess you're right, oyaji." Ichigo admitted, scratching his head. After his servants had gone quite a distance, he followed straight.

17 year old Shinigami daiko Kurosaki Ichigo woke up to the sounds of quite chattering and an Edo era – like room. He immediately thought of the Soul Society; but as he took a look at the surroundings again, he wasn't sure of where he was. Ichigo struggled to get up, as his head was almost killing him. Then, he felt a hand trying to help him up. He turned to the side, and was astonished to see a man that looked exactly like him. The hair color, the eyes, the skin; everything. Ichigo immediately took back a bit, his eyes opened wide. He was unsure of what to do. He sat there, eyes glued to the strange person.

Luckily, the Kurosaki heir was able the break the silence; "My guess is that you are absolutely clueless of how we look alike as well…" He paused, waiting for a respond from the young Shinigami. But none came, as he still wasn't able to swallow every piece of information he just saw. He was still staring at the strange man in front of him.

"It's not very polite to stare, you know. Not like I really care about that." The noble man said, trying to knock the other man out of his confusion, "Kurosaki Ichigo. Nice to meet you."

The daiko finally shook his head and gain some consciousness. He finally mumbled a 'nice to meet you' before dazing again. He was still trying to knock himself out of his confusion. Not only had that man had the same look, but the same name, too. That's something he was sure they both wanted to figure out.

"Mind telling me where I am, um… Ichigo?" The Shinigami questioned, tried not to sound awkward. "And how DID I get here?"

"You're at my house. In Seireitei. My and my old man found you in our garden; after an explosion." The heir responded, remembering the giant hole in his garden. "We don't really know how you got here… And you've been out for about two hours sharp." He was obviously uncomfortable about his garden.

"Well, my bad! Sorry for ruining your garden." The daiko said, scratching his head. "It's Kurosaki Ichigo as well. Nice meeting you. To be honest, I can't exactly explain how I got here, either."

"Try me." The other Ichigo answered without hesitation. As much as he wanted to be hostile towards the other man, he still had questions that needed answers.

The daiko scratched his head; unsure of how to explain his situation. He can't just say, 'I went out to slay a Hollow when it shot a cero-like beam on me and when I woke up, I was already here.'

So, instead; he just said "I really don't know." The shinigami brushed the matter aside, and just think about what to do from there. He tried recalling everything that happened the other night. First, he ran over to help Rukia but failed; thus his nakamas came to help. Second, that abnormal, oversized Hollow let off red beams that brought everyone down on their feet. And third, they all disappeared after being touched by that black void. Ichigo work everything out in his head again; and realizing that his friends might be lost somewhere else. He bolted up straight away, heading for the thin shoji door. But he was stopped by the stranger.

* * *

><p>"Let go. I need to find my friends. We were all attacked the other day; and it'd be my fault if they were hurt." The Shinigami daiko said without hesitation.<p>

The other Ichigo sighed; he really did expected better from 'himself'. What did he think; walking out not knowing where was he going to go?

The Kurosaki heir said, with flaring eyes looking straight into the daiko's, "At least you could've thought of where to look for them! Do you even have any idea of where YOU are?"

Ichigo, finally realizing his mistake, started to felt awkward. There was absolute silence in the room. Nothing else were heard; with the exception of soft breathing. The daiko's expression changed; softer than before. He closed his eyes for a moment, and then sat back down on the futon earlier. He sighed. He felt idiotic; having never even thought of such a simple thing.

The Kurosaki heir walked over to the white futon; and sat down, his eyes to the daiko. He seemed depressed, and somewhat disappointed. Then, he decided to break the silence first; "…Look, Ichigo. Tell me their names. Your friends, I mean. Maybe I can help you look for them."

"Kuchiki Rukia, Yasutora Sado, Ishida Uryu, Inoue Orihime. Those are their names." Ichigo responded.

"Well, I'm not sure; but here's the logic. You, Kurosaki Ichigo, landed here on the Kurosaki mansion. One of your friend's name was Kuchiki, was it not?" The heir paused, waiting for the other's respond. But he only got a nod in return. He continued, "I'm going to visit the Kuchiki later on today. And I know Inoue; she'd probably come by tomorrow."

"What about Ishida and Yasutora? Have you ever heard of them?" Ichigo asked; hoping for a yes. Unfortunately, it was a no. His face saddened, his eyes looking down. At least he had a lead of where Rukia and Inoue might be.

The Kurosaki heir tried to comfort the daiko, "Don't feel too bad. You'll find them eventually. I have a good feeling."

"We are strangers. Why are you helping me?" The daiko responded, looking straight at his 'reflection'. He never expected himself to have such help from a person whose garden got crashed by him. He never had such feeling of gratitude of something so small. He had been given great power to protect his loved ones. But what could he do with them; when his nakamas might be in danger and he doesn't know where they were. But that stranger gave him hope.

There was silence again. The noble found the reason of why he had helped the stranger hard to figure out. He really did not know; he just listened to his guts. He helped that he could trust the boy, despite not being fully comfortable with the fact that it was the same boy whom destroyed his family's garden.

But that was beside the point.

* * *

><p>He decided to answer, "… I honestly don't know. Well, mayb…."<p>

"My sons! I see that you're awake!" The two were interrupted by a loud door slam. Isshin extravagantly stomped in; and gave both Ichigos a bone-breaking hug. 'Isn't this nice… The old man is the same; no matter where he is…' The daiko thought, reminding himself of his own father.

"Get… off!" The two young men said in unison while kicking Kurosaki Isshin; which sent him flying all the way across the room.

"My sons don't love me, Masaki!" Isshin sprawled out on the floor; while bursting into tears. He was always the crazy father, showing his care and love by embarrassing his children. Ichigo wasn't very fond of it; and neither were his sisters, Karin and Yuzu. Especially on Karin's side, she wasn't very… interested in being harassed by her own dad; being the tomboy that she was.

Ichigo the daiko dusted his sleeves; "You're just like my old man. Jumping on people out of no where." Ichigo scowled, then stood by the door, and gestured the other boy to go out. Suddenly; the door was slid opened again, revealing two little girls; one with blonde hair tied up in pig tails, the other with black, shoulder length hair.

"I heard noises, daddy! Are you guys OK?" Yuzu came rushing in, and then kneeled down to where her abnormal father was.

Karin shook herself out of her worries; as she saw her father crying like a baby on the floor. She just stood by the shoji door; "It's just dad being goofy. Don't make such a fuss about it. Yuzu." She said, annoyed as usual. She was never fond of his attitude.

Then Karin looked aside to see the stranger with the incredible resemblance to her brother. She was shocked when her father and brother brought him in not long ago; but at that moment, she wasn't so astonished anymore. She's rather… curious. But she let it slide, as there were more important things at that moment, like getting her older brother ready for his meeting with the Kuchiki. She never really wanted to welcome any noble woman into the household; after her mother's death. But she always raised hope that one day, the girl that her brother chose could somehow fill the hole that had been empty ever since her mother died. So, despite not wanting to admit it, she wanted Ichigo to try and find someone who could make him happy.

Isshin hugged his younger daughter, crying. Yuzu cried along with him; but Karin pulled her away from the 'over-loving' Isshin. She reminded Yuzu of what they were supposed to do, "Ichi-nii, despite the 'crisis' we're having at hand; you really need to get ready for the meeting with the Kuchiki."

Isshin stood right up, his face bright and sunny again; "Oh yes! I almost forgot that you were supposed to ask the beautiful Miss Kuchiki to marry you! How excit…" Isshin didn't get to finish his sentence when earning another punch from his own son. He was sent flying again.

The Kurosaki heir turned to the Shinigami daiko; "Excuse my old man for being goofy. I've been trying to fix that for some time now." He dusted his haori, and then walked towards the door. "And I'm pretty sure it isn't going to change anytime soon."

"You get used to it. My old man is the same." The young daiko said, following the other boy outside. He gestured for Karin and Yuzu to go along; leaving the old goat behind, crying by himself.

* * *

><p>The heir went into his room, put on a special set of kimono that his sisters had prepared for him earlier; and attached his katana on his right side in case of an emergency. He went out to the front after he finished. His family and the daiko were awaiting him outside along with the horses.<p>

"Let's go, my sons! We can't keep the Kuchiki waaaiiiiting!" Isshin said in an over-happy-singing voice.

"Hope you don't mind if I tag along." The daiko was trying to get on the horse that he was prepared in advance, "I need to find my nakamas, and I can't do it by wandering around in one place."

"Well," The heir said, "At least the faster I can get you out of here, the faster I can be spared from trouble."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm grateful." The daiko replied, with not much appreciation shown in his voice. But he was thankful. Right now, any lead would be useful.

Isshin got on his horse, and asked the guards to open the gates. The three were on their way, leaving Karin and Yuzu behind, waving.

* * *

><p>Yeah, this chapter was shorter than what I expected it to be:)) Plans for chapter 5 is already on paper. Hopefully I can update on time.<p>

Oh, and my school is having a fair; and my class is having a food stall. What do you think we should sell?

Love you lots,

Ilyana Irvine


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note: Sickness sucks. Believe me. After what had happened in the past week, I can't believe that I'm still here in the Human World and not in Soul Society. 3 bed ridden days, 2 other days I was better, but my stomach didn't fuction well; I was burping (ew) and spent most of my time at school in the toilet. I'm surprised I had time to finish this. OK. So my school fair is next week, along with a bunch of exams. Busy. So I'm terribly sorry if I don't make chapter 6 in time.

Hopefully this chapter will get me more reviews.

Enough said.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach.

* * *

><p>Rukia woke up to the gentle sounds of the koto. She slightly opened her eyes, and then took in the surroundings. Everything around her looked like her room back in Soul Society. Well, all except the table at the farest corner. It didn't have a Chappy drawing on it. She wondered if the Shinigamis had came to help her and her nakamas that night, then brought her back to the Kuchiki mansion. Rukia closed her eyes, tried to recall what happened. They were all there, injured, exhausted from fighting an abnormal Hollow.<p>

'Speaking of which, where are they?' Rukia thought. Then she immediately tried to get up, thinking of finding her friends. But as she sat up, her head felt heavy. She was dizzy, and it seemed that her brain forced herself to lie down again.

The music stopped when Rukia finally lie down. There were footsteps near her. She looked around once more, and noticed a shoji door right next to where she was lying. Those footsteps came from behind that door. She bursted up, prepared for the worst situation possible.

The door slid open, gently. A black haired woman in a formal kimono stepped out; she seemed like a pure blood noble, judging her gestures. In the noble household, even opening a door is an art you must master.

The woman came closer to Rukia, then kneeled down to her side.

"Are you alright, Miss?" The woman lift Rukia's left hand. She checked the petite girl's pulse; and felt that her heartbeat was a bit unstable. Of course it was; what Shinigami wouldn't be surprised when a captain came to… check on you? Especially if she wasn't wearing her usual white haori; and was calling you 'Miss' instead of your given name.

"I'm perfectly fine, Unohana-taichou." Rukia replied, her right hand slightly touching her temples. Her head was obviously killing her, but she didn't want to show it.

Unohana looked surprised, as if she just saw flying penguins. She looked at Rukia with questioning eyes. "… Miss, how did you know my name? And… taichou? I'm nobody's captain." She said, slightly giggling. "My, my; you must have hit your head really hard when you crashed down that rice field."

Rukia didn't have a clue as to what that woman was saying. How does Rukia know her name? Of course she would know, every single Shinigami knew her. And she "crashed down the field"? She didn't recall Soul Society had a rice field. Now something's wrong. Rukia put her hand down, and tried to breathe properly.

"What do you mean, how? Of cour…."

"Is she awake yet, Unohana-san?" A voice came from behind.

"Oh yes, Rukia-san. She seems to be a bit worn out, but you can talk to her now." Unohana turned around to the lady behind her; then stood up. "If you'll excuse me, I have more problems in the west wing." She bowed one last time before turning to walk out.

The petite Shinigami took a long, hard look and tried shaking her head several times to see if she was being delusional. But everytime she did; she would still see the same person. Rukia was looking at her own reflection.

The woman earlier wore a plum colored kimono; with black hair tied up with several accessories. Her face was well rounded with violet orbs. She sat down right where Unohana was sitting earlier. Rukia immediately pulled back a little bit; but the woman grabbed her left hand gently and held her back.

"Why are you backing away? I won't bite. I just want explanations." The woman softly said.

"What explanations? If you're talking about how we look exactly like each other, then maybe my mother had a twin or something. I don't know." Rukia responded with a calmer expression. She was still shocked by what she had just witnessed; but she felt better as the woman seemed… um… harmless. She didn't know, but she was certain that she felt safe.

The woman giggled a bit, then spoke; "Well, that, and how on earth did you get here? You can't just crash down from the sky where I'm from."

"I don't fly. And I'm not sure. I and my friends were attacked. Then everything went dark. When I woke up, I was already here." Rukia replied with a monotonous tone. She wasn't as exhausted as she was that night, but she was still somewhat tired.

"I guess we're both clueless then." The woman sighed, and fixed her haori. Then she smiled at Rukia, introducing herself; "Kuchiki Rukia. Sister of Byakuya Kuchiki. And you are?"

It was weird enough that she had the same look, but the same name, the same family? Rukia hesitantly said, "… It's Rukia, too. Kuchiki Rukia, sister of Kuchiki Byakuya." She paused for a moment. "I'm practically dead, though."

The Kuchiki princess snickered, amused of what she'd just heard. She's never known to be the one with a proper sense of humor; so looking at… well, herself joking was a breath of fresh air.

The petite Shinigami laughed, and turned her head a bit. The reaction was expected from anyone; hell, even Ichigo was surprised when she first met him. And Ichigo knew that spirits do exist. She was still amused, though.

"Why are you looking like that? I really mean it when I sai…." Rukia paused, second guessing herself."Nevermind."She brushed it off. Was there really a point in telling her this? The most important thing now is finding her friends. She stood up, and turned to leave. The other girl immediately asked,

"Where are you going? Unohana said you shouldn't be moving too much."

"My nakamas. I need to find them."

"Do you even know where _you _are, lady? You can't just run around to random places. Getting lost isn't an option."

Rukia shrugged. The woman was right. She couldn't just get lost; that would just cause her friends even more problems that they might already had. Ichigo would probably by insulting her stupidity right now if he was here. And she couldn't say a thing to defend herself as usual. She really wasn't thinking it through. Rukia sat back down on the white blanket.

The Kuchiki princess scooted closer to the petite Shinigami. She looked over her shoulders to see her own face, devastated. It felt awkward.

"Look, lighten up. You will find them; and I'll help you." The noble princess said, putting her hand on the other girl's left shoulder."Just not now. You're still very weak, I can tell. Why don't you stay here for a couple of days?"

The Shinigami sighed, her eyes looking down. Rukia nodded slightly, a sign of accepting the offer. That girl had a point, and a good one, at that. Her body was rejecting her every move; she would just be more of a hindrance than she already is. She softly said her thanks, along with a melancholy smile. She hated being sluggish and useless; so she offered to help the other girl. The Kuchiki heir walked over to a small wardrobe then took out a full set of kimono, and put it on the white futon. Then, she took out a large wooden box with a golden lock, and pit it on a near by table with a mirror that was sitting across the room. She finally spoke after sitting down in front of the table; "First, do me a favor and change into that kimono. Call me if you need any help." She then turned away from the petite Shinigami and looked into the mirror, fixing her hair.

Rukia went into the next room, got changed then rearranged her clothes, pilled it up before quietly getting out of that room.

"Does it fit? I figure it would, as you're just about my size." The other girl said, while still fixing her hair.

"You are right, it fits perfectly. Thank you for letting me borrow this." The Shinigami responded, with much appreciation. She put her shihakusho aside, then walked over to the person sitting across the room. She noticed the lady in front of her was styling her hair in a formal way; a style which is usually seen in formal meetings, such as weddings, ceremonies, formal meetings, and such. But definitely not on a casual day.

The petite Shinigami couldn't help but asked, "Are you going to go somewhere today?"

"No, but I do have a meeting later." The noble heiress said, while struggling with her ruby made pin.

"With whom? If you don't mind me asking, of course." The Shinigami said while helping the other girl with her hair.

" The Kurosakis. It's another arranged marriage for me."

Rukia immediately looked up when she heard 'Kurosaki'. The other Rukia noticed her astonishment through the mirror. "Is something wrong? Do you know anyone like that?"

"… Ichigo. Kurosaki Ichigo. Is he going to meet you later on?"

"If he's the son of Isshin Kurosaki, then yes, he is coming here." The princess replied, finishing the touches of her hair. She thought about the marriage again, and reminded herself to keep it simple. Her brother had said that he had met the man personally, and found him quite interesting. Truth to be told, Rukia found herself somewhat excited, because her brother rarely comments on anybody that way. And now, she is even more curious.

"How is this… Ichigo like?" The Kuchiki heiress questioned.

Rukia sat down to a near by table, thinking of her Berry, and how he was like. She had known him for quite sometime, and found herself attached to him… Well, somehow. They bickered a lot, but she felt that they had an understanding at times. But that was about them. What about _him_? Rukia sighed.

"Describing him… I don't even know where to begin."

"Try me."

The Shinigami slightly giggled, then said; "Well then, idiotic would be the first word. He acts without much thought. And second would be rude." She paused, thinking about examples to support her words. "He _never _calls my brother with a proper suffix. And he's an over-protective jerk. He never really lets his sisters go anywhere without him knowing. He never lets me do anything. He says 'go ahead', then says 'I'll do it for you two seconds later.'

Rukia stopped as the other girl started to giggled. She smiled, but then it turned into a laugh as she realized what described above were all what she thought as bad points of Ichigo.

The Kuchiki princess quite down, "Is there nothing… decent about this man?" She was getting more intrigued by the second. Intelligent, generous were the kinds of words people would use to describe men here. Idiotic, a jerk, rude… Now that's the first.

The Shinigami looked down to her sleeves, which was lavender colored, and let out another sigh. Ichigo had saved many souls. He had saved his family, his friends. He had saved her. Ichigo always risked his own for others without hesitation.

He was the brainless jerk with the heart of gold.

Rukia perked her eyes up a bit, then spoke,"Courage. Bravary. And kindness. Those are the best words, I suppose. He had been too kind, forgiving me despite all the things I did to him. He even said that… he… owed me…" Her voice trailed off; her eyes slightly shut. She was getting emotional. Despite being taught that such emotions are unesscesary; she felt showing them makes everything easier than holding it all in.

The other Rukia was curious of what happened that made the girl in front of her all fierce a second, then depressed the next. But she knew better; and decided not to ask. It was a stranger's problem, and she wasn't the one to interfere without injuring their feelings. There was one thing she felt like she sould do; that's at least getting that poor girl out of her foul mood.

"I understand. That's good, isn't it? He forgives people. He thinks about others before himself. He's not like other men I've heard about. In this world, he would have been extraordinary." She said along with a vibrant smile; something she hadn't shown in a while.

The petite Shinigami sighed, and smiled along; happiness apparent across her face. She shouldn't be sad. It had been proven that when she's down, she can never get anything done. And at that moment, she needed to find her nakamas. Besides, the girl was right. Ichigo is different, no matter where he is.

"You're right. Ichigo _is _different. I'm not sure that's always a good thing, though." Rukia said. Both girls giggled, happiness filled the room.

* * *

><p>A while later, some servants came rushing into Byakuya's studies. He hated being interrupted, but his servant knew better not to disturb him; so he figured it must be something important. The servant immediately bowed down afted sliding the door open;<p>

"Kuchiki-sama, the Kurosakis have arrived."

* * *

><p>Finished. It was supposed to be longer, but I don't have enough time.<p>

The meeting is next chapter! Yay! Hopefully I can have a better chapter than this one. I wasn't very happy with it.

Review, please.

With love,

Ilyana Irvine


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's note_: This was supposed to be extremely long. But I had to cut it back, because I didn't have time to go over the actually meeting part and the reunion part. So I cut it to chapter 7. Hopefully I'm not disappointing anyone.

And thanks to _**Girls In White Dresses, ishori27**_ for reviewing. I'm truly greatful.

Enough said.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach of any kind.

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><p>The Kurosakis were riding their steads through the wild forest Mikamiwase. They were going at a fairly slow pace; as the forest was too thick, and there were so many huge trees blocking their way, making it difficult for the horses to pass through rapidly. The sin was already on high, and could be seen despite those gigantic trees. They needed to be hurry, and get to their destination before sundown.<p>

Our Shinigami Daiko was bored out of his mind as they were half way through the damp forest. He really wanted something to do; or just to talk. But what subject? He had nothing to talk about, so he just kept his mouth shut and went along.

But the other boy broke the silence; "I really did plan to bail the arrangement if I wasn't helping you." He said, keeping his head straight ahead.

Ichigo turned his head to the side. "Why would you make such a fuss about it? You've got nothing to lose. If it was me, I'd just go along and get it over with."

The noble boy sighed. He wasn't as stupid as to do something without reason. And that statement. He had heard it from many people, even from his family. All of those times, he had brushed it off; saying they just don't get it. To him, they were wrong, in every way.

"Of course I have a reason. You think I care a damn thing about those ridiculous noble arrange marriages?"

"You… don't?" The Daiko replied, surprised.

"No." The noble answered, bluntly.

"Then why?"

Ichigo scratched his head. "…Inoue. She's my…um…_lover_. I don't want to leave her for anyone." The noble said, somehow uncomfortable with the term '_lover_'. He and Inoue had their feelings out with each other; but he wasn't the type to have everything out in the open with everyone. Being the grumpy guy he is, people were surprised when they had found out that he had his eyes on a girl.

The Kurosaki heir shrugged when he noticed that the boy next to him was snickering. His face looked hysterical; as if he was holding back a laugh. He couldn't help but questioned the other boy, as he didn't find anything he said laugh-worthy.

The Daiko stopped his snickering, then answered the noble heir; "Nothing, I guess. I just never thought I'd hear 'myself' saying those kinds of things. Like 'lover', I mean." The Shinigami paused, keeping his head up straight and his eyes on the road ahead. He continued, "…Well, that, and Inoue." His voice was becoming serious.

The other Ichigo cocked his head to the side, his brows quirked up. He was obviously surprised.

"What about Inoue?" The noble boy questioned.

Ichigo spoke, recalling all that had happened between him and the slightly-over-bubbly girl. "I'm a bit… taken back knowing you have feelings for Inoue, despite not really know weather if she is like the Inoue I know. The Inoue in my world is a sweet, bubbly girl. She has a kind heart."

"So? What's not to like?" The other said, obviously confused.

"She's a friend of mine. But we're not close. More like we can't be close; despite knowing each other for quite some time. I just feel that we don't have a certain… understanding." He paused. He really never took time to try to know Inoue, nor did he want to. Ichigo knew about Inoue's crush, it was clear as day. Well, actually he was pretty sure that Rukia and Tatsuki had implied it several times.

But he was far from being interested. He didn't need to have a conversation with someone that would blush and flutter after every word he says.

He scratched his head, then continued; "And I don't want to try to understand, really. Frankly, I'm ready for a relationship with Inoue. Not with her being like this." The Daiko finished, quite bluntly. But it was how he felt. If Inoue doesn't change her way and be comfortable around him, giving her a chance was a big 'no'.

The Kurosaki noble was displeased to hear those things about Inoue; even if it wasn't 'his' Inoue. To him, the girl had been a great friend, a source of encouragement for the past two years of his life. To be honest, he had wanted to give some girls a chance, but he always thought about Inoue the moment he second guessed himself, and decided that he didn't have the heart to leave her. Thus he had been rejecting every arrangement. At times, he even refused to even meet the girl.

"You'd understand my situation when you're in love." The heir said, sighing. No one even cared to understand.

"Actually, if your situation is anything like mine, I can assure you that you're not in love." The Daiko said.

"Then what would I be like?" Said the noble, curiously.

"You would just be… lonely, not love; I think." Ichigo said, recalling his situation. His mother had passed away when he was too young to handle his life without the love of a mother. He didn't have anyone who could've filled the void in his heard, and also his family's. He dated girls, but he never got intimate with them. Any of them. He kept his head on high, and decided that none of those girls he dated can turn anything for the better.

But then, there was _her_. There was _Rukia_.

Before he knew it, our Daiko was spacing out as his thought trailed to Rukia. Rukia. The girl who changed everything. His rotater. His moon. The only girl he would crawl over the surface of the earth for. The relation between them; is it romance? No. But Rukia understood him. She always knew what to do to make him feel better; to make him a better man. That was more than enough.

"Oi! What are you dreaming about, in the middle of a forest?" The Kurosaki heir said, knocking the other boy out of his thought.

Ichigo shook his head, mumbled a 'nothing' before keeping his eyes on the road. Silence covered the atmosphere again. But living with a crazy father, silence was killing them.

* * *

><p>The noble boy finally spoke; "Might as well get to know her." He turned his head over to the other boy. "What's… Kuchiki like? You know, the girl?"<p>

The Daiko lightly scoffed. "Rukia? She's a violent midget. Literally. I can still feel the pain from her kick, which was from… I'd say about four hours ago."

"Wow. You must have really pissed her off."

"Not my fault her drawings sucks." Ichigo said, crossing his arms. "Everything turns into monsters in her hands."

The noble laughed. "My, she sounds horrible."

The Daiko replied; "Hell yeah, she is." He paused for a beat before continuing. "Just… not always. She's kind. She thinks for others, sometimes even forgetting herself. She's tough, but fragile inside. Rukia has always devaluated herself. She never thought of how important she is to others. But she always treasures people around her. She's truly a wonderful girl."

_And a beautiful one, at that._

The other boy shook his head; slightly chuckling. The Daiko sounded so… passionate when he talked about the girl; unlike earlier, comparing to when he was talking about Inoue. It got the noble questioned about the boy's feelings. Not everyone can describe someone like that without a close connection. Extremely close.

"Hey," The noble boy started, "do you love this girl? You know, that 'Rukia'?"

"Of course not!" The Daiko immediately responded. "We're close, I guess. But we don't have that kind of… lovey dovey stuff going on.

I don't love her." Ichigo finished.

_Or do I?_

He kept his thought to himself as he remembered her face, her smile; and just everything that had happened between them. Ever since that fateful encounter, she had always been the one who kept his world right. That time, when she was taken back for execution, he had felt as if everything was coming to an end. When she was fighting with Aaroniero; he felt her dying. He regretted not coming to save her. When she returned to him; when she was on that window still, he had resisted the urge to just jump over and hold her close.

_Do I love her? _

Right now, all he wanted was to hear her voice. To know that she's alright.

His train of thought was cut off as they already passed through Mikamiwase forest. The Kuchiki mansion was insight, just up on the hill ahead.

"MY BOY! Are you ready?" Isshin finally spoke his first sentence in the whole trip. Well, more like he had shouted.

"Yeah, I guess…" The Kurosaki heir answered with uncertainty. If that girl is like the 'Rukia' that he was described to earlier, he might find this trip worth coming.

"Here we go…" The Daiko said, exhaling. Hopefully, he could find Rukia.

* * *

><p>The two girls were having tea pleasantly when Byakuya came in. The door slid open. Both ladies turned their attentions to the door; slightly bowed as they saw the noble man.<p>

"I see that you've woken up." Byakuya said, standing by the shoji door. "Imouto, the Kurosakis have arrived. They are waiting in the guest room."

Then he turned his head to the other girl; "… I think you better come out, too. There's something you might want to see."

The petite Shinigami nodded; then hesitantly followed Byakuya out, unsure of what to expect. The three walked through a large hallway, then turned left to a double door that led to the guest room.

"They are inside." The noble man said. "Are you ready?"

Rukia sighed, then closed her eyes for a moment. She whispered a prayer to her sister, then nodded; "Yes, nii-sama. I am ready."

Byakuya stepped to the front, gently opened the door; revealing three men sitting at one side of a wooden table.

"Rukia!" The Daiko shouted as he caught the sight of his fellow Shinigami. He bolted right up, making everyone else astonished.

"Nii-sam… Kuchiki-sama; do you mind if we can talk outside? Me and… him, I mean." The petite Shinigami said, looking back at the Daiko.

"Certainly not. There's a room down the hallway, if you'd like to talk in private." Byakuya replied, then sat down after the two Shinigamis have said their thanks and walked out. Rukia sat next to Byakuya.

Isshin started first, with a serious tone; making Ichigo a bit surprised. "I and Bya-kun here have discussed this the other day. And we thought it's better to tell you both this rather than saperately." Isshin sighed. "So, we waited until today."

Byakuya continued, "… We really want that you two would agree. I can't say that we won't force you; but we can't even if we wanted to. We've agreed that you're both stubborn at the same measure." Both Ichigo and Rukia had to smile. Those two were right. They were so stubborn at times, it was annoying.

"So, we'll have you two to talk and decide." Isshin finished; hoping for a good outcome.

"Let's go." Byakuya said, and gestured for Isshin to go out as well. They closed the door after going out, leaving the pair behind in bewilderment.

'I hope this turns out well, Hisana.' Byakuya sent his prayer to his late wife.

* * *

><p>Too short for me. Ichiruki action next chapter.<p>

Hopefully I can dig myself out of school work :))

Love you lots,

Ilyana Irvine


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's note_: It was supposed to be longer, I swear. I just don't have time to type everything up. Sorry:( I'm digging myself out of work; and I don't even know if I'm going to update next week. Bear with me, please...

Thank you **_JosephineX_ **and _**Girls In White Dresses **_for reviewing. I'm grateful.

And here comes the meeting.

Enough said.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bleach of any kind.

* * *

><p>" I can't believe that my brother had talked me into this." Rukia sighed. She adjusted her haori sleeves, then turned her sight to the orange haired boy. She quirked her eyebrow.<p>

"Strange hair color you have there." She stated. She has never seen anybody with that wild color. Not among the nobles, at least.

Ichigo didn't like it when people criticize his hairstyle. "I got it from my mom. Don't go criticize on it." Ichigo said, not too pleasant about it.

Rukia giggled. "No. I think your hair color is cool. It's different. Black is boring." She said, with a smirk on her face. He really was different, just like how he was described.

Ichigo couldn't help but sile, although it didn't last long. When he went to parties, meetings; everyone stared at him as if he was a delinquent. If they didn't they'd think that he's a freak and dyed his hair color. They say that first impression means everything. And Rukia definitely left a good mark on him.

"You're the first to say that. Well, other than my family." Ichigo finally spoke. "Thanks, I guess." He said with a smirk on his face.

Rukia slightly smile. She had never done that before in these 'ridiculous, useless meetings' as she'd called it. Yet, this man, with such wild hair color, would make her smile. 'At this rate, it's impossible to keep anything simple, I suppose.'

"Tell me something about you." Rukia said, obviously feeling more comfortable.

"Well, other than my crazy dad whom you just met earlier, I have two little sisters. I don't let them near other guys, really. Not without my supervision." Ichigo said, his eyes looking into Rukia's. "They've been all hyper to meet you." In truth, Yuzu and Karin was always hyper every time he was going to meet up with someone. But he never bothered to tell any girl that. Rukia was the first.

Then, Ichigo remembered seeing 'two Rukias' earlier. He wondered if they were in the same situation. The noble man slipped some tea, then spoke; "Hey, what's with that girl earlier? She looked exactly like you."

"I don't know. We found her on our rice field. She said she didn't know how she got here. And I have a feeling that you are somehow in the same situation as I am." Rukia replied, remembering the boy earlier.

"Yeah, I guess you can say that." Ichigo said, scratching his head. "Apparently, even they haven't got their solutions yet. And I don't know what to do with him." He sighed. " I guess I'll have to deal with it later."

Both of them drank their tea; then gently put the cup back down on the wooden table. Ichigo asked; "Hey, Rukia, right? Tell me something about you."

"Well," Rukia smiled, smiling. "Other than my uptight brother-in-law; I had a sister. Her name was Hisana."

It immediately struck Ichigo when Rukia said that she _had _a sister. "Had? What happened? You don't have to answer…" Ichigo looked at Rukia, his eyes soften.

Rukia inhaled, and closed her eyes. "She died; 10 years ago. She was sick, really sick." Rukia paused; feeling herself getting emotional. She was fighting to keep herself in one shape. But it was almost impossible.

Ichigo noticed the petite in front of him was shaking. Despite her 'tough' noble form; he could see her eyes started to puddle in water, but trying hard to keep her tears from falling down he cheek lines.

"You don't have to hold back, you know. I know what it's like to lost someone precious." He said, recalling his own background.

Rukia shrugged, her eyes two tracks of tears was finally let lose; her vision were getting blurry. She felt more comfortable. Rukia spoke, trying hard to get her voice fluent and clear, "Thank you. And… who was it that…"

"My mom." Ichigo replied with no hesitation. "She died, 10 years ago as well. She… um… died of sickness." He didn't want people to know that he as the reason behind Masaki's death. He had considered telling Inoue, but he just didn't feel that she would understand. He always gave her the impression of the unlucky guy without a mother; not a boy that took away his own mother's life.

Rukia put her hands on the table; wrapping around the warm tea cup, ridding the cold from her hands. Her tears were drying; her visions became clearer; but her eyes were still inflamed. She felt… peaceful. Unlike other meetings it made her felt comfortable. Ususally, those men are stiff, fake, and just simply ridiculous. Ichigo was different, like she had expected. He made her expressed feelings that the never could.

_Maybe... I should give this a chance…_

She shook her head; knocking herself out of her own thought. Rukia broke the silence; "You know, I've spent years trying to replace my sister, to find someone that can fill the void in my heart." She paused, her eyes reflected on the cup of tea. " That's why I agreed to meet these men. And you. I want to make my sister happy. I want to be happy." She sighed, then slightly scoffed. "But as you see, nothing has worked out for me so far."

Ichigo couldn't help but smile. She was indeed different. And she seemed like and interesting girl. Rukia was somewhat in the same situation as him. Out of all the girls he had met, none could understand him; not even Inoue could freely comprehend. Rukia might just be the first.

The petite girl looked up from the tea cup, and straight to Ichigo instead; "What about you, Ichigo? What's your story?"

He scratched his head, and looked into Rukia's smiling orbs. "My excuse is pretty much like yours. After mom died, I've been trying to fill the hole in my family. I searched, I meet; but all of them are the same. Snotty noble ladies." A smirk danced across his lips as he thought about Inoue. "Until about two years ago. I met Inoue Orihime. She's kind and sweet. Everything is easy around her, I guess." Before he knew it, a smile was apparent on his face. Rukia quirked a brow of amusement as Ichigo's face expression changed from awake and confident to hilarious and dreamy. Then she started giggling; making Ichigo snapped out of his thought. His brows moved closer to one another, his smirk disappeared. 'Seriously, am I that funny to look at?" He said, recalling being laughed at by the Daiko earlier.

"Actually, you look hysterical. You looked an idiot, thinking about that lover of yours." Rukia said. A smirk spread across her face.

"You really are a nosy, horrible midget." Ichigo spat back, his head turned to the side, his arms crossed in front of his chest. He'd never expect a girl and a noble one no less, to say such things with no hesitation.

Rukia reached over and smacked the Strawberry's head. He was really stupid; messing with her like that. No man had escaped her words, let alone her attacks. They all ran out of the mansion, sometimes leaving their horses behind, and never bothered to look back. But Rukia was expecting the extraordinary from Ichigo.

And it happened. He didn't run like others, however he did flinched a bit. But he recovered quickly. "Violent midget! What was that for?"

"For calling me midget, idiot!" Rukia said, her head turning away. She only peeked at him through the corner of her left eye. "And don't be surprised. Just because I'm a noble lady doesn't mean I can't do things like that." She said as she noticed the astonishment in his eyes.

Ichigo scoffed. 'What a lady…' Had it been anyone else, he would have kicked them in the face. But it was Rukia. A girl. And he can't just attack ladies. He wasn't a ladies' man, but truthfully, Rukia hadn't done anything serious. She'd just being… interesting, for the lack of a better word. He actually felt comfortable with a smack on his head.

Ichigo shook his head. "It is very… un-noble like. But," _I can't believe I'm saying this, _"I don't really mind. You're just different, Rukia."

Rukia was definitely taken back. No one has ever said that to her. Yes, she was different. Did anyone saw that? No. But he did.

"Oh? Is that supposed to be good or bad?"

"Good, I guess." He scratched his head. "I don't really like normal things; or normal people for that matter. Normal is boring. I like being different." Ichigo finished with a big smile on his face, his orange orbs looking straight into violet ones.

"So… does this mean, your lover is a one of a kind lady?" Rukia questioned, after taking another sip of tea.

Ichigo shrugged. 'Good question.' he thought. It had never occurred to him of how Inoue was, comparing to other girls. He remembered the time they first met. It was a party. One of those ridiculously expensive noble parties that celebrates nonsense. Inoue was just another noble lady in the crowd. She was a lower-class, as he recalled. As she was enjoying the party, a man had 'impure intensions' with her. While she was talking to him; she got terrified and stepped back; thus fell down on the ground. Ichigo just can't ignore a person in need of help, so he went over and helped her up. The other guy ran away. Ichigo also walked away, too. But from then on, he paid more attention to her at parties. Then they just decided to be together. Frankly speaking, he didn't know much about Inoue. Rukia's question got him asking, if he had made a mistake.

Ichigo sighed. Answering something he wasn't sure of was always a challenge for him.

"Well, I guess she IS different..." He paused. "…somehow…"

"You are getting harder to communicate to, you know." She responded, slightly scoffing. "What does that mean, _exactly_?"

Ichigo really felt awkward at that moment. What was he going to say? He completely blanked out. He actually thought that maybe Rukia was right. He _is _an idiot. Inoue is his lover; his chosen one. How come he had nothing to say about this?

Rukia looked at the noble man in front of her, resisted laughing. Ichigo… an interesting guy indeed. She wouldn't mind having him around. Rukia almost laughed with herself. At first, she just wanted to keep this simple as usual. She walks in, then comes out. But now, she was actually wanting to say 'yes'. Then, she just started to think if there was anything wrong with her.

The petite girl couldn't hold back anymore. She was laughing.

"You are a total idiot, Ichigo."

"Who are you calling an idiot, midget?" Ichigo spat.

"You are, idiot!" Rukia said, sticking her tongue out childishly.

"Midget!"

"Idiot!"

"Midget!"

"MY DARLINGS! I trust that you two youngsters have finished discussing?" Isshin bursted out of nowhere, and gave gave both Ichigo and Rukia a bone-breaking hug.

Byakuya threw Isshin all the way across the room. "I'm sorry for not being able to stop him." He adjusted his kenseikan. "But really now, have you two made your decision yet?"

Rukia stood up. She spoke first, "I have made mine, nii-sama, Kurosaki-sama. And I trust that you have made yours, Ichigo."

The boy sighed. He wanted to give this a chance. This time, he really wanted to. Inoue stood as a problem for him. But at that moment, he was ready to make agreements with Inoue. As long as he got to have a chance with Rukia.

He finally spoke, "I have."

Isshin stood up, putting his right hand on Ichigo's shoulders. "What it is, then, son? Yes, or no?" Isshin said with a serious tone.

"I… want the marriage." He looked into her deep, beautiful eyes. "… it's up to you, Rukia."

She was at a loss for words. He was saying 'yes'. She didn't know if she should be happy or not. But her thoughts were flowing crazy, her heartbeat steadily increased. Finally, there was somebody that she could at least stand. She wasn't going to let it go.

Rukia simply nodded. "Yes. I want the marriage."

Ichigo was happy to hear her answer. And so was Rukia. She smiled as Ichigo stepped closer to hear, smiling back. It was emotional, for both of them.

Isshin immediately jumped out to the garden; then screamed out loud; 'I'M FINALLY GOING TO HAVE A THIRD DAUGHTER!"

He was as crazy as ever.

But this was indeed something worth being crazy about.

* * *

><p>Next chapter will be the Ichiruki reunion. Warning: Fluff. Well, not really.<p>

With love,

Ilyana Irvine


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